"Toney, you'll only go to Mr. Staines. Eh? Why not come on to Charing Cross Hotel later, and have tea or something?"
Toney turned away to find her umbrella. The temptation was very great.
"I shan't have much time, uncle, and I'll get back by the first train possible; Aunt Dove will feel dull and will want to hear all about the wedding. She doesn't quite approve of it, so she had a headache; but she is dying to hear particulars I know!"
"You see, musicians are—well, I mean marrying out of your set wasn't the fashion in her day."
"I wish I knew a nice sweep!" said Toney laughing, "but I don't; or I might, perhaps, fall in love with him; anyhow, I'm booked for a wallflower, so I shan't shock her!"
"Humph!" said Sir Evas. "Well, good-bye, I'll do your commission for you, Toney, in fact I'm going straight to Lawn and Alders now, to order a 450-bore high velocity cordite rifle for Lewis' lions. Make your mind easy and I'll be back to-morrow. Any message to Waycott?"
"No, nothing in particular. Tell him it was mean to miss the wedding, and tell him that Maud looked very pretty as well as the bride. Good-bye, Ducky Uncle."
The cab drove off and Sir Evas was left on the platform looking after it.
"There's something on the child's mind," he said to himself. "It's not Lewis Waycott, she could have come to hunt me up if it had been. I laid that trap nicely."
Chuckling at his own deep artfulness, Sir Evas went off to see about the necessary kit for killing lions and tigers!